1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telephones and, in particular, to a method for registering a dialed phone number in a speed dial list and a redial list of a telephone.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a telephone (e.g., a wired phone, a cordless phone and a mobile phone) stores a phone number dialed by a user in a redial buffer for future use. In such a case, the user need only press a redial button in order to re-dial the previously dialed phone number. The telephone then automatically sends the last dialed phone number stored in the redial buffer. Since the structure of a telephone is well known in the art, it will not be described in detail herein.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a conventional method for registering a dialed phone number in a redial list of a telephone. Initially, the user places the phone in an off-the-hook condition and dials a phone number. Upon reception of the dialed phone number (step 111), an exchange forms a speech path to a called subscriber. When the speech path is formed, the calling (originating) subscriber can talk over the telephone with the called subscriber. Upon the completion of the telephone conversation, one of the calling and called subscribers places the phone in an on-the-hook condition to terminate the call (step 113).
After the call is terminated, a controller of the telephone compares the currently dialed phone number with the last dialed phone number stored in the redial buffer (step 115). If the currently dialed phone number is not identical to the last dialed phone number stored in the redial buffer, then the currently dialed phone number is stored in the redial buffer (step 117). However, if the currently dialed phone number is identical to the last dialed phone number, then the currently dialed phone number is discarded (step 119).
It is to be appreciated that the conventional phone number registering method cannot inform a user whether or not a currently dialed phone number is already registered in a speed dial (or memory dial) list. Accordingly, the user should register the currently dialed phone number. However, in such a case the same phone number may be repeatedly registered, thereby wasting memory resources.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for registering a dialed phone number in a redial list or a speed dial list depending on the registration status of the dialed phone number.
To achieve the above and other objects, a method is provided for registering a dialed phone number in a telephone having a speed dial list and a redial list. The method includes the step of determining whether the dialed phone number is registered in the speed dial list, upon receipt of the dialed phone number. Speed dial information for the dialed phone number is displayed and registered in the redial list, when the dialed phone number is registered in the speed dial list. Then, it is determined whether the dialed phone number is registered in the redial list, when the dialed phone number is not registered in the speed dial list. A dialing frequency of the dialed phone number is set to one and the dialed phone number is registered in the redial list, when the dialed phone number is not registered in the redial list. The dialing frequency is increased by one when the dialed phone number is registered in the redial list. Then, it is determined whether the dialing frequency is one of greater than and equal to a predetermined value. The dialed phone number is registered in the speed dial list, when the dialing frequency is one of greater than and equal to the predetermined value.